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Capitol Rotunda - Facing House Chamber

Advocates Push PA Lyme Disease Law

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Patients and doctors lined up to testify on the proposed Lyme and Related Tick-borne Disease Education, Prevention and Treatment Act.  The House Human Services Committee convened a capitol hearing on HB 272 this week.  “The latest statistics we have from 2009 show that there were almost 5,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in the state of Pennsylvania.  That is by far the highest number of any of the states,” says Chairman Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks).  Others later testified that those reported cases are likely just the tip of the iceberg. 

Lyme Disease rash

Lyme Disease will often leave a "bull's eye" rash.

The legislation would create a statewide Lyme disease education task force, and require that health insurers cover Lyme disease treatments.  “There are so many people suffering from this particular disease that is misdiagnosed so many times by a physician, either because they don’t have sufficient training or don’t understand how debilitating this disease can be,” State Rep. Dick Hess (R-Bedford) said in an interview with Radio PA. 

Julia Wagner, who chairs Lyme Action PA, testified that Lyme disease can have severe neurological effects.  “The impact of this disease is such that I was so cognitively affected that I could not string a sentence together.  I could no longer recognize the meaning of a red light, when I stopped at a traffic light,” Wagner says.  Lyme Action PA is a coalition of 19-Lyme disease support groups across the state. 

Hess’s bill has 30-bipartisan co-sponsors, and currently awaits action in the Human Services Committee.  The Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania supports the educational aspects of the legislation, but testified that its insurance mandate is a step in the wrong direction.  “HB 272 is not just an insurance mandate, it also amounts to legislative endorsement of a controversial course of medical treatment,” says Jonathan Greer, vice president of the Insurance Federation of PA.  Despite patients’ testimony, Greer says the science behind long-term antibiotic treatment of Lyme is mixed.

Don’t Pick up a Tick Hitchhiker this Summer

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Spring and early summer are times of year when the ticks that transmit Lyme disease tend to be most active. Health officials are reminding people to be vigilant when they’re outdoors.    

Dr. Stephen Ostroff, acting Pennsylvania Physician General, Pennsylvania Department of Health, says the deer tick is tiny, and people may not notice it right away. He says in order for the infection to be transmitted, the tick has to be attached for at least 24 hours.  Dr. Ostroff says that’s why it’s important to do a tick check after you’ve been outdoors.  He says taking a shower or bath can also help reduce the likelihood of exposure to Lyme disease, because the soap and water may wash the ticks off before they can attach.  

While hiking and camping can put you at risk for contact with the deer tick, Dr. Ostroff says most Lyme disease tends to occur in the areas around people’s homes, especially those that abut forest locations.

Dr. Ostroff says it’s best to wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible, avoid areas with high grass and brush and use a repellent.  Some studies indicate light-colored clothing does not attract the ticks as much as darker clothing.

Dr. Ostroff says 90% of all of the Lyme disease in this country occurs along the Eastern Seaboard, especially in Eastern Pennsylvania.  He says Pennsylvania is one of the high incidence Lyme disease locations in the United States.

Symptoms of Lyme disease most often include a bulls-eye rash.  However, some people may not detect the rash or in some cases it may not be present. Dr. Ostroff says anyone who develops such a rash, or develops unexplained symptoms of fever, fatigue, muscle aches and joint pain, should contact their doctor and indicate they may have been in an area where ticks are located.

Untreated, Lyme disease can lead to arthritis, heart and neurological problems.

May is Lyme disease Awareness Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick borne illness in the United States.